As a child, I did not hear my family talk about feelings, so I was seldom in touch with my own emotions. I learned not to ask for what I wanted, as a way to protect myself from disappointment. Gradually I lost contact with my needs, my wishes, my dreams, my heart's desire. Practicing NVC has helped my to reclaim my identity as a unique human being. Now I can use my feelings as clues to uncover the deepest, most treasured part of me -- my needs, what I value, how I want to live my life.

What happens when my family only sees me as the person I was in the past, and the old patterns of the family system start to emerge alive and well? And my hard-won sense of self starts to melt away?

Many of us react in one of two ways to this dilemma:

1) Without meaning to, we can lapse right back into the family dynamics we have struggled to overcome, and lose our sense of self in the process.or2) We protect the persons we have become by staying distant, and lose the chance to create the family closeness we are longing for.

I am interested in exploring an NVC alternative - how do we learn to stay grounded in our own needs and values, so that we feel free to reach out with empathy to deepen our family connections?

Benefits of MP3 recordings:

Listen to the learning material again and again

Recordings are an alternative to participating in a live course

Use recordings to prepare for a live workshop or telecourse

Conveniently listen in your car, while you're jogging or while relaxing at home

Recordings can supplement your learning and reinforce what you already know